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Interview with D.J. Soto, Bishop of VR Church
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We had the opportunity to speak with D.J. Soto, “Bishop and Apostle”, of VR Church, a congregation based in multiple Virtual Reality platforms including AltspaceVR and VRChat. He, along with his wife, formed their virtual church in 2016 after leaving a more traditional, physical church in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was perhaps inevitable that religious faiths would form their own communities in these new virtual worlds we are creating, but with the onset of COVID-19 and various social distancing and quarantining measures being put in place limiting gatherings of more than a handful of people—forcing many churches to move their meetings online—Soto may well have been ahead of his time.
88 Names: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What is your background and why did you begin using VR?
DJ: I pastored at a fairly large church for a few years. I’m an ordained pastor. I enjoy playing around with new tech, and exploring the options. I was in AltSpaceVR one day, and realized they had an option for social spaces. That was on a Friday in June 2016. Two days later we had our first service. Five people showed up. That has continued to grow. This past Easter Sunday we had over 300.
88 Names: Author Matt Ruff has mentioned a few times in our podcast episodes he is fascinated with the clash of perspectives one meets in these virtual spaces. In a feature Wired did on you a couple years ago, it mentions you had never had an atheist at one of your physical church services but they often engage with you in VR. What do you think is the reason for this ability to interact with others from different perspectives in new technological spaces?
DJ: The fact that people are able to attend in their avatar gives a sense of anonymity. People don’t feel like they have to live up to their persona or reputation, so it allows them freedom to ask questions about faith and science. Also, the culture of VR Church is welcoming of all faith or non-faith backgrounds.
Bishop D.J. Soto
88 Names: Is there a point where the divide between virtual reality and what we consider metaphysical reality will be transcended?
DJ: I think it’s just going to take time for people to adapt. VR is definitely going to influence our reality.
88 Names: What specific challenges have you faced using VR as a religious leader?
DJ: Fundraising for sure. And a lack of acceptance from the Christian community, especially churches.
88 Names: Christianity does have a long history of adapting to make use of new technologies, but those changes are often met by that internal resistance. Have you gotten any pushback from conservative members of the faith about what you are doing?
DJ: Yes. We have a lot of pastor friends. They had some resistance, especially to our virtual baptism. And especially before COVID-19, when going online didn’t fit their theology. It was interesting to notice their theology change during COVID-19, when some of them had to adapt to going online. You can view our baptisms here and here.
88 Names: In the real world there have been a lot of political arguments about closing physical churches. Some congregations have, others have left their doors open. At least two pastors have contracted the virus and died. Do you think a VR church is a practical option for churchgoers?
DJ: It definitely is. Especially for those who enjoy the tech, or enjoy trying new things. It’s definitely an immersive experience. People often ask “what is your church like?” And we reply, “it’s a lot like going to your church.”
88 Names: In our podcast episode with Cory Doctorow, he mentioned he believed religious faiths would form around the technology itself. Do you see that happening at all?
DJ: I would say that the technology is going to fashion our faith expression.
Bishop D.J. Soto
88 Names: What ways do you think immersive technology is most beneficial to society? And in what ways do you see it having the most negative impact, whether due to bad actors or unforeseen consequences on the general populace?
DJ: It really allows for people to be limitless. Think about people who can’t leave their home. Now they get to travel, engage in relationships in this new way, or even step into a position of leadership. One of our church leaders is home bound due to a medical condition. This allows her a space to connect and lead. As far as “bad actors”, in our space we have moderators to kick out the trolls if needed. Technology is what we make of it, so I guess some will use it for evil. In general, a lot of social spaces in VR are just people hanging out. Also, it doesn’t lean toward addictive tendencies.
88 Names: Finally, looking to the future, what improvements to existing VR technology would you see as particularly desirable or useful to your mission?
DJ: We are already seeing prices drop on the tech, and companies constantly tweaking the tech to make it more user friendly, so I think we’re already on the right track.
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About The Author
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Darryl A. Armstrong
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Darryl A. Armstrong works in marketing and advertising and writes about pop culture. He is the Managing Editor at Rise Up Daily and his work has been featured in Bright Wall/Dark Room, Film Inquiry, and the Arts & Faith Top 100 Films list.
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